Ultimorphs: The Return of All
by Comet Jessica
Summary: Jake has been presumed dead. Then Marco finds out he has not. Later, Jake has to make a choice between killing Cassie or Marco.
1. Prologue: Marco's dream

I do not own any of these characters except for 3 that I made up.

Ultimorphs The Return of All

Prologue (Marco)

I had my eyes closed while I was tossing and turning in bed, recalling everything that happened a year ago. The war was over, and my best bud Jake had made the toughest decision ever. He had sent his brother, Tom, a controller with his cousin, Rachel, an Animorph I know as Xena, to their death. Rachel approved. However, Jake and Rachel didn't tell any of us. We found out after it was too late. Cassie was way beyond mad at Jake, and so was Tobias. Cassie had been Jake's girlfriend and Rachel's best friend at the time, and Tobias was Rachel's boyfriend that was a red-tailed hawk. Long story. Read a different book.

Anyway, in my dream, I was walking alone, when suddenly the world felt like it was shifting. I fell through a hole that had eaten me and I knew there was something wrong…wait a minute…it was just Tobias, swooping around. So why did I make a big deal out of it? I shrugged the feeling off. I was just paranoid. Tobias looked angry, and I knew it was either about Rachel or about Jake. Marco, we have a problem. 

"What is it, Tobias? Did Rachel run to Neverland?" Tobias landed. Not funny, Marco since it is Jake's fault. 

"Jake's fault? Why isthfe..?" I was morphing to bird, to osprey to be exact. I tried thought speech. Why is it Jake's fault? What did he do wrong? Tobias was a little angry, an understatement.

R-Rachel is going down to the Yeerk Pool with Tom. 

What! Is she a controller? 

No. She's going to die, and she's taking Tom with her. I was shocked…

Again. Run through it by me again. Jake couldn't have done it. It would be a Rachel-like thing, not a Jake-like thing. Come on! I've known him all my life. And Yet…

Marco, it was Jake's idea. Rachel approved. Jake didn't tell anyone because Rachel thought it best. He wanted to tell you, but Rachel disagreed. She didn't even tell Cassie. Now, Rachel is going down there alone. I swear one day… 

Tobias, you need to understand something. Would you prefer saving an entire planet or just one person that would end up being lost anyway? Personally, I would prefer saving the entire planet. Jeez, is that what went through Jake's head?

Tobias fell silent after that. We reached Cassie's barn and flew in. I demorphed. Cassie looked angry. Jake wasn't there at the time. Rachel wasn't there. Ax was in human morph. Normally he's a scorpion tailed, horse bodied, human torso with a head and stalk eyed alien. Cassie exploded and yelled at me.

"YOU! You know Jake, so why would he go and do something stupid like this!"

"Huh?" was my brilliant reply to her dumb statement.

"I can't believe that you didn't talk Jake OUT of this idea! I mean…"

"Uh, Cassie? I didn't know anything about this."

"Oh, really? Well, he tells you everything…"

"I didn't tell him, Cassie. I told no one." someone said from behind me. I swear I over exaggerated it again. It was only Jake. With a pale, sick-looking face.

"So why did you send her there? Could you answer that, oh fearless leader?" she scoffed.

"Because no one else would have done it!" He shouted. Everyone was silent.

He took a couple of deep breaths and said, "Look, I wasn't thinking that she would have been the one to go. I talked to her about it and she said that Marco would do it if I asked him to, but I couldn't ask him because he is my best friend. Cassie might have been reluctant to do it, but she would for the human race. Of course Rachel couldn't let me ask because you were her best friend. Ax would have done it in a heartbeat, but Tobias wouldn't have let him. Tobias was a possibility, but Rachel said no. I was going to…"

"NO!" Someone shouted. I was surprised. It was me.

All eyes turned. "Sorry, continue." I muttered.

"But, Rachel said that Marco would have chopped her head off. She told me then that she was the only possibility, but I said no. She said, that even though Tobias and Cassie wouldn't have allowed her, she would have gone anyway. She also told me that she was doing this whether I liked it or not. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen."

He turned away, with tears in his eyes. He said, "You can be mad at me if you want. I've gotta get out of here." Then he walked out. Everyone was silent. I looked at everyone else. "It was Xena's choice, right? She would have done it on her own."

Cassie bit her lip and slowly nodded. "But, Marco, would she have thought about the plan before Jake had?"

I was stumped on that one. "Could you guys do me one favor? Don't stress Jake out even more than he already is. He's barely in the sane category of this world." I was about to leave when Erik, the chee came walking up. "I need to speak with Ax, Marco, Tobias, and Jake. NOW!" Boy was he urgent? Jake came in behind him, and that's when we were sent to space. Jake was in command. It had been ten days…

"Attention everyone!" A loudspeaker said. "If you could all come to the main office, Prince Jake would like to speak with all of you." Ax, Tobias and I were the first ones there. After everyone arrived, Jake walked up to the front and cleared his throat.

"Welcome, everyone. I know this is what you've all been waiting for, and it will soon be over. However. If there is anyone that wishes to leave, for if you stay you may not stay alive, you can. No? All right. Ax, I need to speak to you." Two minutes later, he came out and said, "Marco, could you come in for a minute?" I walked in.

Jake looked me in the eyes. He looked sad, but happy. If that makes sense.

"Marco…you have been here for me since before I can remember, you risked your life for me many times, and I could never thank you enough." He paused. I was wondering why he was being emotional, but after a couple sentences, I knew what was going on.

"I have this watch that I bought for you, and I want you to take it now." I looked at it. On the front it said, To Marco, the best friend anyone could wish for. I started getting teary-eyed. "I need you to do one more thing for me though, Marco." I nodded, tears down my face, and choked out, "Anything, Jake."

"I need you to leave here in the escape pod. Live the life you were supposed to live." I tried to protest, but Ax knocked me out.

The last words I heard from Jake were, "You will always be a brother to me. I will always be there for you. Even if you can't see me…." Pause. "Be ready to Ram the Blade ship in 2 minutes!"

I shot up from my bed like a lightning bolt. After that incident. 2 weeks later, I got a call and a doctor said, "Marco? We found no body that belongs to Jake Berenson. He didn't make it." It had been 2 years.


	2. Chapter 1: Doctor message

Thank you for the review…I would like to mention before I go any further that I made the ending different than KA Applegate had it, so please bear with me!

A/N I do not own Animorphs. 3 new characters will be joining later.

Chapter 1 (Marco)

I marched lazily into the kitchen and brought out some muffins. That's what I've been eating the past two years.

Then I walked outside, and muttered like every year before, "I'm sorry, Jake."

I went to get ready to talk to Ax to see if I could get a job. You don't want to know, really. That's when the phone rang. I ignored it. "Hey, this is Marco, please leave a message after the beep."

It was a doctor from the nearest hospital. "Hey Marco. This is Dr. Jackson. If you could please call me back at…" I walked out the door before he had a chance to finish. I got in the car, revved the engine, and turned the music on. I went to Ax's office, and he went grazing somewhere so I went home. The doctor from the hospital had called five times saying it was urgent. I sighed. It better be, I thought.

The phone rang again and I answered. It was Dr. Jackson.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hi. Is Mr. Marco there?"

"You're speaking with him."

"Marco, I must inform you that there is someone in the hospital that would like to see you. I have not learned his name. He is in intensive care."

I was silent. "Sir? You ok?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Thank you. I'll try to be in as soon as possible. Bye."

I sat down. There were only three other possibilities. Ax, Tobias and Cassie.

I called Cassie first.

"Hello?" a male voice said.

"Hi, is Cassie there?" I asked urgently.

"Yeah, but she's busy at the moment."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Ok, thanks." Tobias next. He was fine. Ax was fine. So who in the world would it be? The phone rang again.

"Hello. This is Marco speaking."

"Marco? This is Dr. Jackson speaking. This patient has been asleep and been saying your name as if he were worried about you."

"So he knows me?"

"Well, he should. We also know who he is, but we can hardly believe it."

I froze in my seat. Hardly believe it? "Who is it, doctor?"

"Well, maybe it would be best if you came to see if it's actually him or not. I shouldn't speak over the phone. He's asleep right now, but having some problems. He keeps saying, 'No, Marco! Don't go to that one!'"

Ok, now I got officially confused. Then something in my mind flashed. Ax was carrying me and I fluttered my eyes open. We were headed to one of the escape pods. (This might not be a very fine idea. We should head the other direction.) Ax said.

"Go to the furthest one," I muttered. Thankfully we did, because the one that we were almost on had been attacked. The one that was in full view of Jake.

Back to reality here. That couldn't be who's in the hospital. He's dead! I shrugged that out of my mind. "I'll be there in five minutes." I hung up, and jumped in the car.

And as I drove, I wondered who it could be.


	3. Chapter 2: Rachel's return

thank you for the awesome reviews! Sorry it's been so long…I had school and I was moving. so…..without further ado, let's get this story going! I do not own the Animorphs unfortunately. I made up a few characters.

Chapter 2

Ax

I will not understand human ways, or facial expressions. I do know that when I got back to work, Elena, my secretary, had given me a look and told me that Marco had been here. I sighed in my head. I nodded and walked into my office. I morphed to human and called Marco's phone. I left a message saying, "I was just calling you back. Ba. Ack. Please return my call. Re. Turn."

I demorphed and knew that I should probably let Cassie know I'm alive. She has been checking up on me. I am confused by the term checking up, because I am not on the upside. I decided against it and got back to work.

Rachel

What the hell am I doing here? Where is here? Oh, it's the mall. Fudge! I was just with Tom, about to bring him down. And now? I am sitting at the mall. What kind of reality am I in?

Is it jus me, or am I asking too many questions? I felt my head drooping when someone tapped my shoulder. I whirled my head, only to see it was some guy who worked at Orange Julius. "Hey, ma'am. The mall's closing. Time for you to go home." I trudged out, and was crossing the street when I noticed in a blue sedan, there was a very impatient boy…er, guy….waiting for the light to turn green. I knew him all too well. Marco. I smirked. I walked over to the car, and opened the door. Climbing in, I said, "So what are you rushing for?" He looked at me, and screamed bloody murder. He was pale faced, where he was normally tanned skinned. I looked at him at a sideways view. He said, "Okay, okay, now focus here. I have a girl that had been dead for two years now…What am I supposed to do?"

I answered, "Drive!" The car went so fast I swear my eyes were out of my sockets. He told me what happened to me and I told him how I had survived. He whistled. "You sound exactly like that guy, Brian, who had to live off a Hatchet after a plane crash from that one book by Gary Paulsen." He stated.

"It was called Hatchet you dimwit." We both kind of chuckled.

Then I wondered. "Where are we going anyway?"

"Someone's in the hospital."

"WHAT?!"

"Yeah, don't know who yet. But we'll find out soon enough."

The hospital soon came to view. WE both rushed into the hospital like there was something going on, but we knew there wasn't. Then the doctor came. "Good day, Marco and friend. We have identified who this person is. It is…"

To Be continued

Sorry! I know. It's been a while and I swear that the next one will be better. Please review.


	4. Chapter 3: The hospital scene

Thank you for the other reviews. This chapter has sooo many confusing statements. You'll just have to read it for yourself. I don't own the Animorphs. But I do own other people….that I made up. Heh heh heh.

Chapter 3

Jake

3…2…1…Bang! The collision was overwhelming. Everyone was off the ship. I saw one escape pod be destroyed. I let that go past my mind. in fact all that's left in my mind is that I wished all the pain would go away. I could hardly breathe. I couldn't see where I was and I didn't know what I was doing. I felt like I was floating. Then something clang to me like no other. It pulled me back and threw me in a general direction. I was falling. Falling! It reminded me of the time we had found David…Why am I even thinking of that? I concentrated on….what? Did I even concentrate? Do I even know who I am? No. I didn't even remember who I was.

I felt cold water all around me. My head bobbed up and down, and I sputtered any time I could. I heard a horn and I tried looking up, but I felt so peaceful and I closed my eyes and slept. But before I did, I felt hands grab my shirt and pull me out of water.

Tobias

The city is all I see. I'm drifting. Then I see Marco. I wondered where he'd been. I was ready to swoop down, when I saw a blonde-haired girl jump into his car. He'd been sitting there for 30 seconds after the light turned green. When he saw it, he went really fast past the intersection. That wasn't my concern, or trigger of curiosity. It was the girl, because she reminded me of someone. Of Rachel. But it couldn't have been. Rachel was killed by Tom. No, that wasn't right. By Jake. He sent her down there, and it had been his fault that he didn't stop her. I shrugged in my mind and decided I'd swoop down at the next red light. So I prepared for it. When it came, I swooped my happy little tail feathers down there. I said (Hey Marco. Where are you headed?)

"To the hospital." Marco said.

"I already know that, Marco. Jeez, you haven't changed a bit, have you? Maybe a little more serious…" The blonde girl said.

Then it hit me. (Rachel? You're alive?)

"Tobias? You thought I was dead, too?"

I flew through the window and sat in between Marco and Rachel. I morphed to human and I had my ridiculous outfit on. "Thought you were dead? Is that how you put it? Rachel, you _were_ dead." Then Marco pulled into the hospital parking lot. I had a bad feeling about this. A _very_ bad feeling.

Marco

Okay, so Tobias didn't take it very well about Rachel being alive. Who knows? If Rachel's alive, then there could be many possibilities of who might be in the hospital. The second we arrived inside, the doctor came up. "Hello, Marco and friends. We know who the patient is. The patient is a guy by the name of Jake Berenson."

Everyone was silent, and I was shocked. Jake? He survived? "Is he okay?"

Rachel threw her hands up. "What's going on here? Last time I remember Jake was at Cassie's barn arguing with everybody! How does that have him end up in the hospital?"

"You were dead, Rachel! You have been dead for 2 years or more. I am no longer 16; I am 18. Everything's changed." Tobias explained. The doctor had been talking to me, but I didn't hear him. Not until he said, "When he woke up this morning, he asked who he was. We hoped that you would be able to help us help him remember." I nodded. I was about to ask him if we could visit when the door opened and I heard 6 feet coming in. _Oh, boy_, I thought. This is going to be sad for all of us.

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Did you read anything confusing? No? You read well then, Grasshopper. Please review! I want to know if I'm headed in the right direction


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